The Most Famous Bartender in Portland, Maine, is a Complete Work of Fiction

There are some incredibly talented bartenders all across Portland, Maine, mixing up some fantastic drinks on a daily basis for enthusiastically parched customers. These bartenders are our friends, neighbors, and in some cases, therapists. Some have even attainted a certain level of fame, both locally and regionally. Despite all that, nobody currently bartending in Portland is quite as notorious as the one and only Charlie Parker.

Who is Charlie Parker?

Charlie Parker is the star of a series of private detective novels authored by John Connelly. Parker resides in Scarborough, and when he's not cracking difficult cases, he's taken up a second job bartending at the Great Lost Bear. And while Charlie Parker himself is a complete work of fiction, some of the people he works alongside in Connelly's novels are real and have been employed by the Great Lost Bear. The restaurant/bar listed off all the various employees and friends of the bar who have made an appearance in one of the Charlie Parker novels. The Bear isn't the only Portland landmark that shows up in the Charlie Parker novels. Commercial Street and J's Oyster also make appearances. It's clear that Connolly's real-life travels inspired some of his terrific fiction.

What Makes Charlie Parker So Famous?

Is being an international best-seller good? We think so. The Charlie Parker series of books started in 1999 with "Every Dead Thing," and continues on with the 20th book in the series, "The Furies," coming out in September.